


The Bureau for Dangerous Boys

by Regency



Category: White Collar
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-04-20
Updated: 2012-04-20
Packaged: 2017-11-04 00:27:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 395
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/387635
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Regency/pseuds/Regency
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Neal finds out about the Fowler incident and maybe it changes everything.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Bureau for Dangerous Boys

**Author's Note:**

> Spoilers for up to the season one finale.

It isn't until after Kate that Neal finds out Peter shot Fowler. He'd said he hadn't known that Fowler was vested, but Neal figures he could've been saying that to posture and relieve the moment with humor. Except…Peter's never cared for things like posturing or attempted a joke where he knew it would fail. He's man enough with his badge and his gun (which he'd get back any day now—at least, Neal hopes), he doesn't need any more attitude.

But it's the first mystery Neal's had to ponder since the plane explosion that finally ended whatever chance he might have had with Kate, so he clings to it. It's something to think about. Something else, anyway.

So, he thinks about Diana with whom he couldn't dance and Peter who spends his days wearing earnestness like all his rumpled, cheap suits. He doesn't like the idea of Diana hurt the way she might have been—and he doesn't doubt she would have been—but he likes the idea of Peter as a man of point blank shots even less. Because, nowadays, he lives his life in the realm of what if.

_What if Fowler hadn't been wearing Kevlar?_ It terrifies him to think that Peter could be marking the days off a life sentence with chalk on his cell wall. Prison isn't any place for a Fed, especially not one with Peter's merciful streak down his spine. At least, Neal used to think. _Maybe he'd be just fine and I've never known him at all._

He doesn't know and it scares him to think that the very man who saved his life might be the person he has next to fear. _He shoots people and doesn't worry about the consequences._ Neal isn't sure he can live with that version of Peter, if that's one he can stand behind.

_He was only there for me. If I'd just said goodbye, explained what was happening, maybe there wouldn't have been a gunfight at all._ He prefers to think that. It's easier to take the blame himself than to suppose that somewhere in that triad of intentions, Peter's intent had not simply been good.

Neal knows, deep down, that Peter's a decent man and a friend of his without question. But the next time Peter pulls his weapon, Neal will probably still put his hands up, too.

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own any characters recognizable as being from White Collar. They are the property of their producers, writers, and studios, not me. No copyright infringement was intended and no money was made in the writing or distribution of this story. It was good, clean fun.
> 
> Old fic, feel free to let me know what you think.


End file.
